Does anyone know why as a child I put my shoes behind the door on new years eve for old father time to fill with pennies, chocolate and fruit etc?

Obviously a New Year's superstition and tradition.

My mother taught me a New Year's superstition and tradition and I'll pass this along to you.

Go to the bank and get some silver coins (meaning quarters, nickles, dimes). I usually get a few rolls of quarters. You can use as many coins as you wish. Place the silver coins on a windowsill outside your home. If you don't have a windowsill you can put the coins on a small table outside your front and/or back door. Do this prior to midnight. Leave the coins outside all night. The next day take the coins off the windowsill or table and place in a baggie being careful not to drop any coins on the ground. Spend the coins on things like food, gasoline, clothes during the first days or weeks of the New Year. I usually buy a few candy bars, a few gallons of gasoline and buy a piece of clothing. The tradition is that if you do this you will not want for money all through the coming year. I have been doing this tradition for over 50 years and have not really wanted for the necessities. The one year I did not do this I darned near starved to death.

Putting shoes out for Christmas is a tradition from Holland.
They put them out for Santa to leave candy in them for their presents just like he puts presents under our tree,
I never heard of it for New Years. If they do it on New Years to it is probably like a 12 days of Christmas type thing.

It is tradition in my family, for generations. To leave shoes by bedroom door on New Year's Eve to receive a gift from "Mrs. Claus" who is called Kris Krankor in our tradition. All my cousins and relatives on my maternal side of family do this, but I knew of no other families that did. My sisters and I have asked people if they have ever heard of anyone else who follows this tradition, but no one does. I was just online to try and discover the origin of this. We all continue this tradition with our children and know of no one else who does. I would love to know origin also, but cannot find anything so far. I know it goes back to my great grandmother's family and probably even farther. Our heritage is English, Scot/Irish.